Thomas A. Doyle (mayor)

Thomas Arthur Doyle
Official portrait of Thomas A. Doyle in Providence City Hall
9th, 11th, & 13th Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
In office June 1864 – June 1869
Preceded by	Jabez C. Knight
Succeeded by	George L. Clarke
In office June 1870 – June 1881
Preceded by	George L. Clarke
Succeeded by	William S. Hayward
In office January 1884 – June 9, 1886
Preceded by	William S. Hayward
Succeeded by	Gilbert F. Robbins
Personal details
Born	(1827-03-15)March 15, 1827 Providence, Rhode Island
Died	June 9, 1886(1886-06-09) (aged 59) Providence, Rhode Island
Resting place	Swan Point Cemetery
Political party	Republican
Known for	Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
Religion	Unitarian[1]

This bronze Statue of Thomas A. Doyle, originally installed at Cathedral Square, was moved to the corner of Chestnut and Broad Street in 1967.^[2]

Thomas Arthur Doyle (1827–1886) was mayor of Providence for three terms: 1864–1869; 1870–1881; and from 1884 until his death in office in 1886. His eighteen interval years in office is second in duration to Providence mayor Mayor "Buddy" Cianci,^[3] over 100 years later.

Early Life

Attended Elm Street Grammar School, a public school. At age 14 he joined the counting-room of Benjamin Cozzens, a lawyer, and worked there for six years.^[1]

Political Career

Doyle began his political career in 1848, aged 21, when he was elected ward clerk for the Sixth Ward. In 1852 he was elected to the Common Council from the Fifth Ward.^[1] Doyle also served on the school committee, at one time being the youngest member of the committee.^[1]

Tenure as Mayor

Doyle is considered by some historians^[4] and even was regarded in his lifetime^[1] to have been Providence's greatest mayor. During his tenure Providence grew from "a large manufacturing village" to a "little metropolis".^[1]

Some specific achievements of his terms of office included:

• Construction of Providence City Hall (1875-1878)
• Introduction of a uniformed police force, which became a model for other cities^[1]
• Construction of the municipal water system^[1]
• Acquisition of Roger Williams Park through donation (1871)^[1]
• The city more than doubled in population and wealth^[3]
• The city government earned a reputation of being "free from the taint of jobbery, dishonesty, or malfeasance"^[1]

Personal Life

Doyle was one of seven children, among them his sister, educator and reformer Sarah Doyle. In 1869, he married Almyra Sprague, sister of Senator William Sprague, and had no children. His house at 137 Chestnut Street, Providence, stands today.^[5]

He was also an enthusiastic Mason. He was made a Master Mason in 1857, and was elected to various statewide Mason offices including Knights Templar.^[1]

Doyle was a member of the Unitarian church.^[1]

Recognition

• A statue of Doyle was erected in 1889 in Cathedral Square, at the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul^[6] It was moved in 1967 to the intersection of Broad and Chestnut Street.^[2]
• Doyle Avenue, on the east side of the city, was named for him.^[6]
• Doyle was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2004.^[4]

External Links

• Memorial of Thomas Arthur Doyle: Mayor of the City of Providence
• Thomas A. Doyle at Find a Grave
• Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame

References